By Our Staff Reporter
If the community which prays and celebrates at the ancient Sri Virupaksheeswarar temple in Mylapore set their minds to it they can ensure that the temple tank is clean, has water and is a boon to the neighbourhood.
They have to only follow in the steps of a group of 24 students from The Sanskrit College, Mylapore.
Over the three days, this youth group led by faculty member H. K. Satyanarayana, Hindi lecturer undertook an assignment under the National Service Scheme (NSS) to clean the fringes of the tank at this ancient temple.
The steps of the tank are in disuse and have crumbled, weeds and scrubs run wild all over and garbage is dumped on all sides which have made the place filthy.
The water now reduced to the size of a small pond is dirty and stinks.
The youths cleared the tank of the wild bushes and of garbage but they can do only that much as partof their three day service.
“The tank needs to be desilted and maintained,” said Satyanarayana.
There have been a few extensive tank cleaning operations in the past which helped to gain rainwater during and after the monsoon but nobody seems to care later.
Temple trustees and wellwishers have expressed intentions to desilt the tank and construct steps on all four sides. Satyanarayana says the NSS group of his college is willing to lend a hand to a sustainable tank conservation project.
You can contact the temple office at 94442 58258.
